Archives: Newsletter Post
Meghan Sullivan Considers the Moral Function of the University
In August 2017, just a few days after a white supremacist mob marched on the University of Virginia, one of their most eminent and committed professors, Chad Wellmon, wrote a provocative piece for the Chronicle of Higher Education.1 Wellmon found himself personally devastated by the events, while also deeply skeptical that his university could respond in any […]
Increasing Ethical Engagement, Understanding Impact
Is it possible to increase college students’ concern for the common good—and commitment to pursuing it—when they are faced with ethical dilemmas? Harvard’s Howard Gardner and Wendy Fischman attempted to do just that in their “Beyond the Self” pilot project, and are now helping faculty at institutions across the country adapt and implement the intervention […]
From Strength to Strength
We all reach a professional peak, after which our skills start to decline. But for many, this decline begins much sooner than they expect. Doctors and finance professionals peak in their late 30s, writers between 40 and 45, and scientists in their mid-40s. Accustomed to (and perhaps even addicted to) career success, many respond by […]
Small Things Like These
Claire Keegan’s Christmas novella, Small Things Like These, will not only draw your imagination into the lives of characters in an Irish town during Christmas week in the 1980s; it could also be an argument for liberal education. The main character, Bill Furlong, is a coal merchant with a large family and full days of hard work. […]
A Living Learning Community for Flourishing
How can universities encourage students to move beyond cognitive engagement with ideas about flourishing into habits and ways of being? For students in Villanova University’s Honors Program, a Living Learning Community with a focus on “The Examined Life: the Good, the True, the Beautiful,” aims to do just that, combining a series of well-designed classes […]
KNN Moves to Expand the Conversation around Flourishing in Medicine
The Kern National Network for Caring & Character in Medicine (KNN) is a movement focused on integrating four foundational elements—caring, character, practical wisdom, and human flourishing—within the profession of medicine to ignite positive culture change. This past September, the KNN hosted its first annual conference in Milwaukee and launched an online community of practice to […]
Professions and Politics in Crisis
The legal profession is currently experiencing a crisis of well-being. According to a study of nearly 13,000 lawyers by the American Bar Association in 2016, 28% struggle with depression, 23% experience chronic stress, and as high as 36% qualify as problem drinkers, with all of these rates higher for lawyers less than 10 years removed […]
Workplace Ethics Require Courage
According to a recent National Business Ethics Survey (2013), almost one out of two U.S. employees has witnessed wrongdoing in their workplace. Half of them did not report the wrongdoing or take any action. Why do some individuals display courage at work while many of their co-workers — when faced with the same situation — […]
Civic Virtue Education as an Antidote to Political Polarization
Growing up, I had a lot of questions. As a toddler, I asked all the usual “why” questions, and as I got older, my questions became ever more abstract. My mother wasn’t surprised when I eventually decided to study philosophy. I also learned that there were certain questions that you didn’t ask. In particular, I learned the […]
More Than an Internship: The Calling and Purpose in Society Fellowship
At Valparaiso University, the Institute for Leadership and Service is giving undergraduate students the opportunity to combine a summer internship with a communal, reflective experience as a way of developing deeper purpose and a sense of calling through the Calling and Purpose in Society (CAPS) Fellowship Program. “The point of the CAPS program is to […]